Implantable medical devices have been known for many years. Many implanted devices need to transmit and/or receive power or data. Examples of such devices are pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD).
Implanted medical devices often require electrical connectors for transmitting and receiving power. The connectors must be remain stable and operate reliably for many years to avoid the need for operating on the patient to replace the components. Corrosion can be a challenge because such medical devices include metal parts receiving power in a fluid environment.
Pacemaker leads are well known for providing a stable and reliable electrical connection. Over the years pacemaker leads have developed to provide stable electrical connections while resisting corrosion and wear. Examples include U.S. Pub. Nos. 2010/0010604, 2011/0196464, 2010/0010604, and 2013/0109905 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,433,744 and 8,583,259, the entire contents of which publications and patents are incorporated herein for all purposes. A problem with existing electrical connectors for medical devices is that they do not remain stable when subjected to higher power and/or more challenging fluid environments.
Connectors for other fluid environments have also been developed. Examples include underwater connectors and the like. Examples include European Pub. No. EP2665135 and EP2665137 and International Pub. No. WO1991/015882, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein for all purposes. A problem with such connectors is that they are designed for a specific fluid environment (e.g., water) and operating conditions.
There is a continuing need for improved electrical connectors for implanted medical devices. More broadly, there is the continuing need for improved reliable connectors for application in fluid-saturated environments, and in various respects body fluids.